Magnolias in the Spring
by Loopyrandomfooditem
Summary: Sleeping Warrior/Hunger Games AU where Mulan had been posing as a boy to avoid the reaping because the population in the district was strangely skewed to males. Then Aurora gets picked so Mulan volunteers as the boy tribute to protect her. (Don't need to read the Hunger Games to understand.)
1. Chapter 1

The girl has become hysterical. Her sobs are uncontrollable and she has to be dragged off the stage. A women whisper to her husband, "You could train all your life for this and still never be mentally prepared, you know."

"She probably just doesn't want to die." He replies.

Men sit around a table, laughing and watching the TV.

"No way, District 4 is in way better shape this year." One says.

"I bet ten on District 11, that boy looks mighty promising."

"Hey, guys, what if District 12 wins this year?" They all laugh at this ridiculous notion. Other conversations carried on, many incomprehensible for such a young girl. A big man with puffy lips and white hair booms a speech for all of Panem to hear. These are the earliest memories Mulan has of the Reaping.

The Reaping was the day the district would get to pick names out of a bowl, so that two lucky individuals would get to participate in a game. The Hunger Games, they were called. A game set up by the heads of the country, the Capitol. Two children from each of the twelve districts, one boy and one girl, sent off to be tributes as punishment for a rebellion that happened way too long ago and only one out of them all would return as a victor. The rest would die in an arena designed for slaughter among children ages 12 to 17. It is a vicious game but apart of society. It is a necessary cog to keep the gears of Panem moving.

Now the day has come again and is the last Mulan would have to worry about. She was finally 17. After this time, she would no longer have to stress about her name being picked, not that she worried much in the first place. The odds were in her favor, there was always slim chance she would be picked. The Reaping doesn't mean much to Mulan. Even if she were to be picked, there would be someone eager to volunteer in her place and she learned from her closest friend, Philip, how to swordfight if it happened to be an off year. It's been a good year. Mulan felt that everything would be fine. She wondered if she should even bother to go. What could possibly go wrong? Mulan embraces the sunlight as she leaves her house to go find her friends.

Philip flicks the bill of Mulan's cap as they relaxed around the flowery field near the base of the mountain. "So," he says, "It seems that this is the year where boys and girls are finally near fifty-fifty now. The odd are no longer in our favor. Are you ready for your last reaping, Mulan? Or should I call you Ping?"

That's right…Today she wasn't Mulan, she was Ping. For the longest time, District 2 experienced a strange phenomenon where there were a large amount of male births. Soon it became a blessing to have a boy because the skewed population size meant a very low chance of having your son get picked. When Mulan was born, her parents took a risk and changed her birth certificate to indicate that she was a boy. It was an open secret in District 2. Since her father, a doctor, had saved so many peacekeepers' lives, they weren't willing to turn him in. In return, peacekeepers became her father's top priority. He even gave out some "free samples" every once in a while. Within the last year or two, however, girls have started to catch up and by next year it wouldn't matter what gender your child was. Mulan was truly lucky.

Mulan grunts at Philip in response and tucks her loose long hairs back into her hat. Just then, a pair of arms wraps around Mulan's waist and sweet voice purred, "My, my, Ping, what a fine young man you've grown up to be. I wonder who's the lucky girl you're going to court." The girl behind Mulan giggles and Philip can't help but snicker. It was an open secret and an inside joke for District 2. On the day of the Reaping, Ping existed and Mulan didn't.

"Wouldn't you like to know, Aurora?" Mulan teases as she lightly pulls away from her to get a better look at her friend. How long had Mulan known these two? Mulan couldn't remember a day before the mayor's daughter and the boy next door. She could never imagine how she lived when they weren't by her side, laughing and joking. Mulan takes a moment to admire her closest friends. Philip has his dopey smile as always as he talks to Aurora. Aurora is sitting on a rock, playing with the flowers as she listens to Philip. She smiles and nods occasionally and what a smile she has, Mulan thinks, it's as bright as her auburn hair in the sunlight. It was mesmerizing hair that Mulan has caught herself looking at countless of times. Perhaps she was jealous of Aurora's precious locks because she had nothing but these dead black strands to work with. There were many parts of Aurora that Mulan could be envious of. The shape of her eyebrows, her smooth jaw line, the way her beautiful eyes could light up even the darkest of days. It was a surprise that she wasn't being constantly bothered by suitors but perhaps Philip's presence had something to do with it. Mulan now notices the few quick, shy glances between the two and feels a heat at the pit of her stomach. She wonders what happens when she's not around but she puts those thoughts aside because today had different demands.

"Who do you think will get picked today?" Aurora asks as she looks over the flower she just picked.

"It doesn't make a difference to you, does it? They would never send the mayor's daughter." Philip replies.

"You really think that they would rig the reaping like that?"

"No, I'm saying someone would volunteer."

"I'm not too sure about that. They seemed particularly watchful on the Careers this year." Mulan points out as she sits next to Aurora.

District 2 was one of the "Career Districts" as they were deemed. Children who were almost bred for the games, the games of murder and mayhem, a few select group of children who would prepare nearly every moment for this special occasion. They weren't allowed to do so, of course, it wouldn't have been fair to the less privileged districts. It was another open secret of District 2 that law enforcement chose to help keep. However, this year the peacekeepers seemed to disband the illegal preparation for the games. It was possible that the president, Snow, wanted to shake things up this year. The peacekeepers know who've been trying to train this year and it was a good bet that the careers wouldn't volunteer to take the place whoever was chosen for their own family's safety.

Aurora sighs as she twirls the flower in her fingers, "You'd think they'd stop the games by now. I think we all got the point."

"But you forget it's suppose to be a _constant_ reminder. Besides what would those citizens of the Capitol do without us to entertain them?" Philip corrects in a mocking tone.

"Probably more plastic surgery." Mulan smirks. The citizens of the Capitol were very strange folk, at least to Mulan. They had brightly colored hair and skin. They had tight faces that looked almost like plastic. Mulan had seen them pass by her house occasionally. District 2 was visited many times by these citizens because of how closely located it was to the Capitol. The district's relationship and loyalty also contributed to the Capitol's occasional patronage.

Aurora concentrates on her flower, trying to hide her frustration. Out of the three of them, she was the one who hated the Hunger Games the most. People die in those games, people with friends and family, people she knew. Mulan and Philip always try their best to not let it get to them because there was no point in getting upset. Still, they always find Aurora's displeasure seeping out during Reaping Day. It was silent for awhile. They took the moment to enjoy the nature that surrounds them while Aurora calms herself. Philip is the first to leave. He seems almost excited for the reaping. Mulan could see why, it wasn't just _her_ last year but it was for all of them.

"Well, Aurora this is our last chance…" Mulan utters as she stands.

"Mulan...?" Aurora calls to her as she grab's Mulan's sleeve. She stands and looks carefully into Mulan's eyes as if she wants to confess something. Instead, she just gives a smile that tries to suppress a worried look.

"Don't worry," Mulan says, "The odds are in our favor today."

They head down to the square where everyone else is gathered. There a special stage is set up for the Reaping. There are two large bowls on display, each filled with the countless amounts of names of the District 2 children. You could tell which bowl belongs to the boys because it noticeably had more of the white sheets of paper. In between the two Reaping Balls stands the official District 2 "escort". Each district had one and they seemed to be more like ambassadors from the Capitol. They helped along the process of the Hunger Games. District 2's escort was called Schnee Alabaster. She is short but thin. She seemed to have stained her skin white and her lips were unnaturally red, like she constantly drank blood. Her hair is as black as ebony and looks just as hard. Actually, she looks like some kind of sickly snow monster that came from a top the mountains. Mulan will never get use to her looks. She just could never understand. Mulan and Aurora separate. Mulan stands with the boy, while Aurora with the girls. Mulan impatiently taps her foot through Schnee's introduction and President Snow's speech. Finally, Schnee announces that she will pick this year's tributes and she starts with the girls.

"Ladies first." She says.

She hobbles over in what seem to be hideous yellow clogs that clunk against the stage towards the bowl with the fewer names. She waves her hand over the bowl, to cause anticipation and excitement. Though the reality was, for Mulan, that it was just dragging on an event she was way beyond ready to be over with. After what seems like forever, she finally plunges her hand into the bowl and after a few mixes of the slips, she pulls one out. As if she had just plucked a delicate fluff from the air, she presents the slip to the crowd. She then unfolds the paper. She clears her throat as she speaks the name of the female tribute into the microphone. She calls Aurora's name. The peacekeepers quickly get her and direct her to her position. Aurora stands on the stage, clenching her jaw, doing her best not to cry. She refuses to give anyone that pleasure.

No one says a thing when Aurora is picked. No wife muttering to her husband. No one taking bets. Aurora was almost a treasure, she was someone everyone loved. There seemed to be a state of shock. No one seemed to have even fathomed the idea that she would be the tribute. Nobody anticipated this would happen and while being so caught off guard no one was able to volunteer for her. If Mulan existed today and not Ping, her hand would shoot up in a second, but she couldn't. She couldn't risk her family in that way. There everyone stood in silence as the escort moves on to the other bowl to pick the boy.

People were recovering and a slight ease was returning to the crowd. Schnee whirls her hand in the bowl a few times before she picked up the small slit of paper that would seal a poor boy's fate. Mulan couldn't focus on that, she was still stuck on Aurora. She had to do something. She had to protect her. She cared too much for her to let her go to that horrid area but what could she do now? She doesn't really think. Schnee barely says the name "Philip" and Mulan already has her hand up in the air. Mulan yells, "I volunteer." She figures if she couldn't save Aurora from the games then she could at least do her best to ensure her survival. Her parent's couldn't rat her out. No one in District 2 was willing to reveal Mulan's secret. Not in front of Snow's face, not with Mulan's entire family's life on the line. After her words, the only thing Mulan could hear was her heart pound in her ears. She doesn't even hear Philip's screams or her family's cries as she is brought up to the stage. She just see's Aurora's face, finally letting the tears she so desperately tried to hold in fall. Even though many trained for this day, no one ever really wants to be in these games. No child ever wants to die.

Mulan sits in the room where they let the tributes say goodbye to their friends and family. She puts her hands on her head and stares at the ground. What was she thinking? She didn't have to do that. Philip would've protected Aurora just fine, wouldn't he? No, he wouldn't. He has his own loved ones to think about. It was better this way. At least Mulan could assure that Aurora would be safe, that she would win. She wasn't ready for her family's reaction, though-their sadness and confusion. She definitely wasn't ready for Philip. She knew he would be the first one to burst in here. He would start yelling at her, demanding what she was thinking. Of course, Mulan would respond about how she wasn't thinking, she just reacted.

Mulan can't look her parents in the eye. Her mother cries uncontrollably and her father yells so loud that the peacekeepers drag him out. Her brother doesn't say much other than he'll watch over their dog. Only her grandmother seems to understand, maybe more than Mulan understood herself, because all she does is gently puts a hand on her shoulder and gives her a look that says that her family will one day forgive her. Mulan does her best to cry it all out between visits. She gets a few teachers and a few classmates. Philip is the last to visit. When he enters, Mulan flinches but he doesn't say a word. He just sits there, staring at the ground until his time is up and he keeps quiet when he leaves. Mulan is drained after all of this. She had made a mistake. She realizes that as she watches a mockingjay fly by the window.


	2. Chapter 2

Mulan is at the train station when it hits her. What are they going to do to her when they find out she's actually a girl, that she's fooled the Capitol for so many years? What will they do to her family? In her crazed decision to volunteer in Philip's place for Aurora's sake, Mulan had put her family in jeopardy. She knew she couldn't fake being a boy forever. She'd only ever practice being one for a day and even then all she would do is dress up like one and stay quiet. Even then she had all of District 2 on her side, keeping her identity a secret from the Capitol. Now, she is on her own and under the constant watch of not only the Capitol but all of Panem. Fear begins to take her and she feels the anxiety build up inside. She was so wrapped up in her own selfish desires that she completely ignored everyone else that she cares about. Even if she ran now, it would definitely do more harm than help. What had she done? Mulan starts to drown in regret until she sees Aurora waiting for her. Then she remembers why she was willing to put so much on the line. If Aurora was safe, if Aurora makes it back, it will all be worth it. She will do all that it takes. Mulan could pretend being a man for twenty life-times over as long as Aurora's life was on the line.

As Mulan approaches Aurora, she is met half way by the other girl. Storming towards her, Aurora looked angry and that doesn't surprise Mulan. Aurora doesn't know her motives, she doesn't understand. Naturally, the question that has been asked to Mulan a thousand times is finally being asked by the reason.

"Mulan, what were you thinking? Why did you volunteer? What's wrong with you?" Aurora looks like she's about to hit Mulan but her arms fall to her sides and her voice goes very soft and solemn, "You could've escaped the games all together…Why did you do this?"

Mulan opens her mouth to speak but a man puts roughly pats her on the shoulder to interrupt. "Because she wanted to keep Philip safe," He says.

Mulan turns to the man beside her. It was their mentor, a previous victor of the Hunger Games. He was to guide them, prepare them and help them train for the games. He was well known, as all victors were, and a close friend of Mulan's family. He's in his early thirties now, but in the games he was known as The Dragon for his utilization of fire traps and basic knowledge of pyrotechnics. Despite the horrors he encountered, Mushu was a light-hearted man with a cocky smile and matching attitude.

"You see, Miss Alabaster, Mulan here is madly in love with Philip and didn't want him to die. Because of her situation I told you about earlier, she had no choice to volunteer in his place," he continues.

"I see…" Schnee examines Mulan for a moment and sighs, "Well, on behalf of the Capitol, I could understand this crime of passion but I doubt President Snow would be so forgiving. Let's just keep this between us and our crew. Everything should go just fine as long as it stays our little secret."

Of course none of what Mushu says is true but Mulan is relieved to hear that she now has support. She has help keeping up this charade and her family will be safe. Whether or not Schnee believes this story doesn't matter, for Mulan, it is good enough that she pretends to. Mulan hoped that the crew would be just as trustworthy. They board the train. Mulan whispers a thank you to Mushu and they sit in separate carts. Since the train ride will only be a few hours long, Schnee decides that it would be better if the tributes took time to relax and mentally prepare for the games. Meanwhile, Schnee and Mushu will talk strategy. It was an odd thing to suggest since Schnee's role was only to help assimilate with Capitol culture. Mulan sensed that Schnee expects Aurora to want a private conversation. She probably knew the history between Mulan, Aurora and Philip, or could read Aurora's expression very well. When they sit in the empty cart, Aurora mirrors Philip's silence for the first ten minutes. She has the same confused, frustrated look Philip had. Finally, she asks, "Is it true? What Mushu said, is it true?" She gives Mulan a stern look. Mulan shakes her head. Aurora continues to stare down Mulan, her eyes demanding for the real reason.

_Because, I didn't want you to die. If I went with you, I could keep you safe. _This is what Mulan wants to say but the words are sour as they roll around on her tongue. They feel weird, like saying them would be wrong. Aurora wouldn't have understood. So, she swallows those words and tells Aurora, "I wasn't thinking."

Aurora scoffs and shakes her head. She leaves to the next cart and Mulan doesn't see her until they arrive at the Capitol. Even then Aurora doesn't look at her, and she stays silent all the way to the Training Center. Mulan is hurt by Aurora's alienation but she does her best not dwell on it. Tributes will live at the Training Center for a few days and will train for the games. There are also a few trivial publicity activities they must participate in to help stimulate excitement for everyone watching. First, they prepare for the tribute parade. They were to dress up to represent their district. On a horse drawn cart, will make a round in the main plaza filled with excited Capitol citizens and President Snow. Mulan and Aurora are separated, and taken to their own stylist to be cleaned and beautified. Mulan's stylist is an angular, androgynistic individual who spoke with a slight lisp and slouched posture. Her stylist speaks only once, "They have explained to me the situation. I'm a master of my craft. All you would need to do is follow my lead. If you don't want to get in trouble I suggest you don't object to _anything_ I do."

Mulan nods and neither say a word the whole session. Mulan doesn't even make a peep when they chop off her long hair. The stylist occasionally holds their arm up in the direction they wanted Mulan to face. There are a few other gestures that Mulan had to guess the meaning of and when she couldn't figure it out the stylist would grab and move Mulan themselves. The stylist wasn't rough but Mulan would've felt more comfortable if they had used their words. When they were done, Mulan could hardly recognize herself. The subtle make up made her face look more square and the gold and brown patterns of paint sprawled about made it even harder to notice the make up. It's an interesting design. It resembled a dragon with its head overlapping Mulan's left eye and body wrapped around her arms. The rest of her face was covered with rock and gem imagery. Her clothes seem to resemble a blacksmith's outfit. The legs of the pants look like bricks and concrete mounds. On her chest, in gold, is her district's symbol of a hammer and chisel. Mulan's hair is a bit long for a man her age but she's never seen a woman with hair this short. After the sixth time she runs her hand through it, the stylist slaps her hand away to indicate that she should stop. They head to the area where the tributes load up onto the cart. Aurora is already there. She looks like a goddess with all the gold on her. Her dress seems to resemble that of melting metal and shines just as bright. Mulan must've had the biggest smile on her face because when they're on the cart heading out to the plaza, Aurora finally speaks.

"Flattery won't get you anywhere. I'm still mad at you." She says, embarrassed.

"I wasn't going to say anything but you really do look nice." Mulan replies.

"Thanks, you're not so bad looking yourself." Aurora still won't make eye contact with Mulan but at least they're talking. The ceremonies go on with no trouble since smiling and waving isn't that hard of a task. Mulan catches a few glances of Aurora and she looks more like a princess than a tribute. District 2's mayor and President Snow are close and often times Aurora goes with her father on trips to the Capitol. She must be very comfortable around these people and have interacted with the higher ups countless of times. Her poise comes with this practice. She is truly dazzling. When it is all over, they head to their rooms.

Mulan is in awe about how huge her room is and all the advance technology it contains. In comparison, Mulan knew she was better off than most districts. She could tell when she was back home watching the games. She saw the conditions of the other districts and how thin some of the tributes looked. However, her life paled in comparison to this room and she felt that she was only getting the bare minimum of the luxuries of the Capitol.

"I've only been to President Snow's office and a small café where father has his social meetings." Aurora says at Mulan's door. Mulan motions her to come in and she sits on Mulan's bed. "In a way this is amazing. But it kind of makes the games all the more horrible. You know? Like we get a taste of the good life we never will have before we die."

Mulan is unsure of what to say. She doesn't know if Aurora is still mad. She doesn't know if she's talking to be polite, because Mushu said so or if she just scared. Aurora continues leading the small talk and Mulan gives short responses. The conversations weren't like the ones they had before, they were quick and strained.

Finally, Aurora says, "I've decided to forgive you. You were just trying to protect Philip. I would've done the same thing." She then gets up and hugs Mulan for what feels like forever. How will it go when it all starts? When they're in the arena, how would Mulan keep Aurora safe? There would be so much going on and Mulan will have to keep herself alive otherwise the whole thing will be moot. Even so, if she makes it all the way through that would mean it would be just her and Aurora left and only one can leave. Would Aurora be willing to kill Mulan? The person she grew up with, the one who she shared secrets and jokes? Mulan would have to figure out a way to off herself with out her intentions being obvious to the capitol. Aurora is a smart girl. She will make it if she only had to fight off one or two people. Mulan decides that's how it will be done. She'll stick around and make sure only a couple of other tributes were left, preferably the weaker ones. Then she would allow one to kill her. She would make it look like it was on purpose, that she was somehow apprehended. Mulan snaps out of her thoughts when she realizes that Aurora is leaving. They say goodnight but Aurora lingers at the door for a moment and then she speaks, "On the day of the Reaping…I was going to tell you that Philip asked me out and after the selection I was going to say yes. I wanted to wait because if one of us got reaped it wouldn't have mattered. I didn't think it would be you but now we're both here. I hope this knowledge motivates you…to get back home to Philip." She leaves.


	3. Chapter 3

Mulan lies awake in her room for almost half of the night. She can't believe that Aurora is convinced that _she_ loves Philip. Aurora is the stubborn type. Mulan recalls the time when they were in school and Aurora was telling her about these two peacekeepers.

"I know love when I see it, Mulan. Those two are definitely in love."

"How could you tell? They don't even hold hands." Mulan responds.

"It's the little things. Like glances and the way you say stuff."

"I think you're wrong."

"You're wrong." Mulan repeats to herself. Aurora is completely wrong. If only Mulan had said so earlier. If only the words had felt right, Mulan would've told Aurora her reasons and then she would see that Mulan isn't the type of person who lets her best friend go off to die. Mulan decides she has to tell Aurora that. She has to know. Even if Mulan has to vomit those words from the pit of her stomach, she was going to let Aurora know that she has no intention of killing her. Still, Mulan worries if Aurora will believe her. Aurora seems so sure where Mulan heart lies and she seems hurt by it too. But, Mulan's heart doesn't lie anywhere and it definitely doesn't belong to Philip. She would have to see that, wouldn't she? Mulan would be telling Aurora the truth now and she would have to realize her intent. Mulan finds confidence in her decision but doesn't rush off to find Aurora. She would be definitely asleep by now and Mulan should sleep too. They had harsh days ahead of them.

Mulan wakes up and heads directly towards Aurora's room. She's not there so Mulan heads to the main room. Mushu tells her that Aurora is already training but stops Mulan from leaving.

"You. You need your own training before you go down there to be with everyone else."

Mulan knows what he means. She isn't Mulan anymore. She's Ping, a boy and she has to learn how to act like one.

"Just looking like a guy will only take you so far," Mushu says. "There are some mannerisms you must…modify."

He points to the couch. "Sit."

Mulan doesn't know how this will help but she responds obediently. When she sits, Mushu examines her carefully. He squint his eyes and then commands, "Open your legs."

Mulan's face turns red, "Excuse me?!"

"Don't be stupid. You sit like a lady. You look too feminine. You probably should slouch more too."

They go on for a bit with Mushu telling and showing her how to walk and the small ticks and twitches that men are familiar with. Mulan practices for a bit and even learns how to add a natural gruffness to her voice. Then she heads down to train. When she leaves Mushu calls out to her, "Don't forget to punch guys in the arm. It's how we say hello. Make some friends!"

When the elevator opens on the training floor, Mulan looks to find Aurora. She goes to the center of floor and scans each station. She sees no signs of her and decides that perhaps telling Aurora in front of all these tributes would not be a good idea. Today shall be the day to make some allies. A common strategy for the games is to create alliances to help survival. That's what Mushu meant by making friends. Not that she will actually make friends. There's no room to create such bonds. It makes it harder when you have to turn on them in the end, and if Mulan wants Aurora to get out, she will have to turn on whoever else is there. Mulan tries to find someone from District 1, since they tend to team up with District 2. Mulan doesn't want too many allies because she's unsure if she can handle taking them all out. She figures the best way to go about this is to team up with the strongest individuals and take them out whenever she finds the opportunity to. A sneak attack will be better than having to fight them while trying to protect Aurora. Mulan heads towards the camouflage station where a boy, who looks more like a wall than a human, stands painting his arm.

"Are you okay?" A voice behind her asks. Mulan turns to see Aurora who looks a bit tired and sweaty as if she just spent the whole morning doing physical training. "You're walking funny."

Mulan wonders if Aurora has come to her senses and finally realizes that Mulan isn't in love with Philip. Hopefully, Aurora has figured out why Mulan volunteered and now they're on better terms. Maybe they're back to their old selves. She responds with, "Mushu said this is how guys walk."

Aurora gives her a look and then says flatly, "Well, you look stupid. Try to walk more naturally. You've probably watched _Philip_ walk around plenty of times. If you mess up, I'll be punished too." Then she walks away.

Aurora was still stuck on her earlier notion. The venom in Aurora's voice when she mentions Philip indicates that. Her last words are stingers in Mulan's chest. She feels the pressure strongly now to maintain her facade. Mulan tries to relax her stride but she's become too tense with fear. She goofy steps become more stiff. Luckily, she later finds that it makes her look more militaristic, like she is a peacekeeper's daughter. She reaches the male tribute from District 1 and punches his arm just like Mushu said.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He turns towards Mulan and shoves her.

Mulan panics, "N-nothing, I was just saying hello. You know? Like what guys do…"

"I aught to teach you a lesson…" He says, raising his fits.

"I didn't mean anything by it." Mulan stutters, bracing for impact.

"Hey, no fighting! Wait for the games to start you thirsty animals." barks the man who was overseeing the station. The District 1 boy snorts and lowers his fists.

"You District 2 people are a bunch of weirdoes. I was trying to help your friend out earlier at the weapons station. I was helping her get her positioning right, so she could hold the knives better. The next thing I know, she smacks me upside the head. Too bad, she was really pretty." And he goes back to painting his arm.

Instincts tell Mulan that his help was a bit more hands on than Aurora would've appreciated. _So much for making allies._ Mulan isn't too sure about the other districts now. It occurs to her that Aurora might have done some damage with her head-strong spirit and overall resentment she was holding towards the games and to Mulan. She probably had a few instances of misdirected anger. Mulan decides to focus on training for now and try again tomorrow. Perhaps by then everyone will be more settled and more open. She learns a bit at the camouflage station but then gets frustrated at her inability to paint and goes off to learn how to make snares.

Mulan decides that since she was pretty good with a sword already, she would wait until the last day of training to sharpen her skills. She learns about things she isn't familiar with. She keeps to herself for the most part. No one really takes notice of Mulan, which is good because after what happened with the District 1 tribute she is no longer too confident in her ability to pass of as a male. She does start to relax more and concentrates on her skill building. She loses track of Aurora and pretty much everyone else around her, so she doesn't notice when a hand slides up her arm.

"So you're the boy from District 2. You're kind of cute up close. I noticed you earlier when Alexandrite was making a fuss. And after that I was kind of…drawn to you so I just had to say hello."

Mulan looks over at the girl. She must've been the District 1 guy, Alexandrite's, counterpart and she is stunning. She has intense green eyes and long brown hair, longer than Aurora's, with a streak of red running down one side. Mulan is so caught off guard that she almost knocks over the bottles of paint on the table. She was trying the camouflage station again since it was empty. She didn't think she would have company. The girl giggles a little. Mulan recognizes that she was trying a type of seduction tactic and was becoming embarrassed how it is kind of working.

"Here." The girl says, "Let me show you a better way of doing that." She takes Mulan's arm and demonstrates smooth strokes and texturing techniques that help blend her arm to her surroundings. The training session for today was almost over. So when the instructor indicates for them to wrap it up, the girl paints something on Mulan's cheek using one of the pink pigments on the table. When she goes, she whispers in Mulan's ear, "My name is Ruby, by the way."

Mulan can't help but have a dopey smile on her face. She feels as though her rouse is working and is relieved that at least someone believes she's a boy. After Mulan washes up, she hops onto the elevator where she finds Aurora. Now that Mulan is in a good mood, she figures this is the prefect time to tell Aurora her reasons. Aurora ends up being the first to speak.

"Where'd you get that?" She asks pointing to Mulan's cheek. Mulan reaches up and feels the dried paint on her face. She completely forgot to wash it off. She looks at her reflection in the elevator and blushes. Ruby painted a heart.

"Did that girl paint it?" Aurora asks, narrowing her eyes. Was Aurora really so mad at Mulan that every little thing she did pissed Aurora off?

"I was just trying to get us some allies…" Mulan explains, rubbing her cheek. Perhaps it wasn't a good time to talk to Aurora after all. "She seems nice."

"Well, I don't like her." Aurora hisses.

Mulan doesn't get a chance to talk to Aurora that night, either. She seems to be more upset than she was the night before. Mulan wonders what else happened to Aurora today, but it was probably for the best to let Aurora sleep it off. Alexandrite's harassment must have been one of many. Aurora is so mesmerizing that the more cocky males would be drawn to her. What happened between Aurora and Ruby, though? What did Ruby do to make Aurora fume like that? No doubt Mulan will find out about it tomorrow because Ruby seems keen on being close. Mulan will just ask her then.

On the training floor, the next day, Mulan looks to see who else she should try out. No one particularly stands out. No one that is worth teaming up with, anyways. She does notice the girl from District 7 loudly dropping her axe several times and looking very sheepish when everyone turns to look at her. The boy from District 12 slips on some paint and falls over causing the people around him to laugh. At least Mulan knows who the weak links are. It's probably easier anyways to just have it be Mulan and Aurora. That way Mulan doesn't have to keep track of so many people and can have all her attention on Aurora. Still, her curiosity about Aurora's issue with Ruby burns at her, so she finds Ruby looking over the database of poisonous plants. Mulan doesn't play around with small talk and right out asks, "So what's Aurora's beef with you?"

"Who?" She responds, not looking away from the screen.

"My District 2 partner."

"Oh. Her? I have no idea. I didn't even notice her until this morning when I tried to go talk to her but she just gave me this dirty look and…Well, some girls just get jealous of how beautiful I am."

Mulan sticks around the station for a bit and studies the plants with Ruby but they don't converse. Aurora must've said something to her because Ruby is no longer trying to be seductive. Aurora is smart. She must've realized that if Ruby got any closer to Mulan she would find out that she was actually a woman. Regardless of Aurora's feelings, she is still on Mulan's side. Aurora would never get jealous over something as petty as looks. She hears Ruby mumble something along the lines of, "…such a shame," when she goes to another station.

That night becomes another session of missed opportunity. Mushu and Schnee occupy the time by discussing a sort of game plan for gaining sponsors and what to do during the actual games. They feel like now is a good time to talk because they want Mulan and Aurora to spend their last day of training based around their plan. Mulan doesn't really pay attention, only nodding her head a few times to show that she is listening. She has her own plans and nothing will change that.

The third and final day of training has nothing special to it except for the afternoon of presenting your individual skills to the game makers. Each tribute goes in one after another in a private session so that the game makers can give each a score. The scores help determine who the good prospects are for sponsors and who to watch out for. Mulan shows off her sword fighting skills. She slices up a few of the dummies and gracefully evades the counter attacks of a battle simulation. It doesn't seem to impress the game makers, because when the scores are displayed, Mulan gets an average score. No one particularly stands out. The lowest score is the boy from district 12. Aurora, along with eight other tributes, is on the top. Aurora smiles, "Everyone expects people from District 2 to throw knives but my father taught me something else."

Aurora goes to bed quickly and the next day is so busy with preparing for the interviews before the send off, Mulan doesn't get a chance to speak with her. The tributes are interviewed for three minutes each, to stimulate more interest for the Capitol viewers. The host, Caesar Flickerman, asks them questions, usually about their personal lives. Mulan meets up with her stylist and again they don't say a word to her, just pushing and pulling to make Mulan a handsome young man. When Mulan waits with the other tributes, Aurora seems distant but not angry.

After District 1 is interviewed, Mulan goes on first. She walks on stage and shakes hands with the eccentric Caesar. His purple hair and matching eyeliner is so intense, it is almost distracting.

"So, Ping, you seemed so eager to volunteer. Are any of your relatives past victors?"

Mulan was coached to keep her cool. She can't mention her actual intentions, or her ties to Philip and Aurora. Schnee offered for Mulan to play a sort of love-interest angle but Mushu shot it down saying that it's a strategy that will never work. So, Mulan has to act more like a career more interested in winning.

"No." She says, "I just want to make my district proud."

Caesar goes on to ask her a few more questions about her family. He mentions how Mulan's father is almost famous for his miracle work on wounded peacekeepers. He does make a joke about Mulan's name but she just responds with, "My parent's aren't very good at naming things. Ping was probably the first word that popped into their heads." This gets a laugh from the audience.

Aurora goes on next. Caesar talks to her about being the mayor's daughter and how she must've made some friends when they visit the Capitol. She assures him that she never had the chance too but hopes to make some if she becomes victor. She gives off a light, bubbly demeanor. She has a smile that Mulan has almost forgotten since Aurora had been so cold the past few days. The last question Caesar brings up is, "So, Aurora, you're a very beautiful girl. I bet there are boys lining up around the block to ask you out. Daddy probably has to go through a lot of trouble to keep you safe, huh?"

Aurora giggles and says, "No, not really. They boys in my town are well behaved. I actually don't have many suitors…but there is this one boy…" She continues shyly, "Well, I haven't told him no…"

Mulan tunes out for a bit. She gets distracted by the District 12 mentor stumbling around in the crowd, probably drank himself out of his mind. It is what he's known for. After the interviews are over, Aurora disappears. She doesn't show up for dinner and when Mulan is finished with hers, she decides to go up to the roof to think. There she finds someone else, the person is singing. The song is unfamiliar and the words are dark.

_"Are you, are you coming to the tree? Where I told you to run so we'd both be free…"_

The singer notices Mulan and stops. When Mulan goes closer, she realizes who it is.

"Aurora, I didn't know you could sing."

Aurora sighs. She looks drained. Mulan supposes that she came up here to be alone and Mulan has ruined that. Aurora leans back on the roof railing and says, "I only sing when I'm alone."

Mulan keeps her distance from Aurora but something tells her that it is time to say what she's been dying to say for a long time. She doesn't do it right off. Just in case her instincts are wrong, she tries to ease into it. "I've never heard of that song before."

"It's not from our district. I heard the girl from District 12 sing it a few times during training. Some of these people are decent. I wish I could've met them before all of this. I wish people were allowed to visit other districts." Aurora turns and looks out to the city below. She sharply exhales. "I've been so angry at you the past few days. I don't really understand why. I felt like Philip had feelings for one of us but I could never tell which one. At first I was worried that it would ruin our friendships dynamic, if Philip confessed his feelings but I thought about it and I didn't mind if he liked you. I actually kind of hoped he did. You didn't seem into him, so nothing would come of it and nothing would change. I started to even wait for the day when you'd come to me and tell me about it, about how you turned him down. But then…what Mushu said about why you volunteered, I just…I don't know. It became different when it turned out you loved Philip."

Mulan has enough and grabs Aurora by the shoulders and spins her around. Mulan takes a deep breath and looks deeply into her eyes. "I did this all for you. Aurora, I couldn't just sit there and let you go to these games on your own. I didn't even hear Philip's name. All I knew was that I had to go with you. I had to protect you."

The look in Mulan's face shows enough pain and sadness that Aurora is left with no doubts. Aurora starts to sob, "Oh, Mulan I wish you'd told me sooner. I didn't want to spend our last days together so mad at you. If you had just said so I wouldn't have reacted the way I did. I don't know what will happen in the games. This could've been our last chance to have some peace." She clings on to Mulan and Mulan holds her tight until she calms down. They leave the rooftop and Mulan has a hard time going to sleep. She regrets not being able to tell Aurora sooner and she just wishes she had more time. If she isn't careful, she could die tomorrow.


	4. Chapter 4

Mulan dreams that they're kids again. Philip is stuck at home because he caught the flu, so it is just Aurora and Mulan that day. They're playing in the field and Aurora is showing Mulan her new book. It's a book about fairytales. Aurora shows Mulan the one about a dragon, a prince and a princess. She then asks Mulan, "Do you think one day I can be princess?"

Mulan nods.

"Who should be my prince then?"

Mulan ponders this for a moment and says, "You don't need a prince because you have me to protect you!"

Aurora smiles and declares, "I'll be a princess and you'll be my warrior! I won't need a prince to save me because I'll have you."

This dream ends differently from Mulan's memory because this time Aurora doesn't just run off to her house, she takes a moment and kisses Mulan goodbye. The shock wakes her up. What a bizarre ending.

When she is awoken, she sees Aurora hovering over her.

"Good morning, sleepy head." Aurora smiles. Her voice has the same warmth it always did before the games but it feels a bit damp with sadness. Mulan suddenly remembers where she is and realizes why Aurora looks like she's about to cry. Mulan groggily reaches her hand out to caress Aurora's face, to comfort her. Aurora places her hand on hers and smiles again. Then she goes to get ready. She turns to Mulan and tells her, "When the games start, I'll find you."

Mulan gets ready and notices that her lips are slightly wet. She wonders how much she's been drooling. She is then taken to the launch pad where she is to enter the arena. Mulan feels a bit anxious not seeing Aurora when she finally is in. She waits patiently on her pad until the gong starts the games. She knows that if she gets off too early, the pad underneath her feet will explode. Mulan surveys the area. She's at the bottom of a large hill and she can barely see the tributes next to her. She looks up to the top of the hill were a large metal cornucopia sits. This is where most of the supplies she will need lay. A little ways above her, Mulan can see a backpack. Since the tail of the cornucopia faces her, Mulan doesn't have a chance to get any weapons. She must take what she can around the base of the hill and go. When the gong indicates she can leave, Mulan shoots out after the backpack. Then she swerves to her left and manages to pick up a net. She turns to go to the woods that is opposite of the hill when she hears a thud. To her right, the boy from District 12 has fallen, with an arrow in his chest. A sword is clutched tightly in his hands. When Mulan hears a cannon fire to declare the boy dead, she quickly pries the sword from him before the owner of the arrow reaches them. She then darts into the woods and takes several confusing turns to help her evade anyone that would follow. When Mulan finally stops running, she realizes how little she emotionally prepared for the games. The dead look in the District 12 boy's eyes frightened her and for a while she had forgotten what her mission is. She finds herself in a small clearing with brick flooring and small portions of what looks to be remains of a wall protrude from the plant covered ground. She wonders what this place use to be as she sits down in a corner of the walls. It feels like they used to be the walls of a fortress of some kind, but aside from her corner and a few sections here in there it was hard to tell. It seems that there was too much concrete for it to be some one's abandoned home. She knows it's too open for her to stay long. She just lets herself catch her breath and moves on.

Mulan has no idea where Aurora is, so she decides to find a good place to hide out. She isn't a fan of hiding but Aurora did say she would find her, which means Aurora must be good at tracking people down. It will be for the best to stay put. Mulan wonders around some more. She trips on a brick. This place must've been some kind of town, a well guarded one, before the people left and nature took over. Mulan can see parts of sidewalk and can vague make out pieces of the street. There must not be anyone around for miles because Mulan can only hear the beating of her heart. It's a little unnerving to hear nothing. She prays that Aurora finds her soon.

Eventually, Mulan passes a stream. She looks through her backpack and finds a container for the water. She fills it up and then drinks from the stream before continuing on. She pauses for a moment because she thinks she hears a twig snap. She looks around and sees nothing but the trees. When Mulan continues on she finds herself at a house that for the most part is in good condition except for the one corner that looks completely blown out. She checks inside to see how sturdy it is, placing and pushing her hand up against the walls. They seem to hold even when Mulan slams her whole body against it. It is a two-storey house, but the bottom half of the stairs are destroyed. Mulan manages to jump onto the stairs and hoist herself up onto the second floor. The way the corner of the house is damaged is convenient for Mulan. Part of the second floor was opened enough for Mulan to see anyone pass by. The stairs just happen to end where Mulan can see, so if anyone tries to climb up, Mulan will be ready. Just in case, Mulan takes a worn down table and places it up against the door to the room she is in. It was a strange house with each floor having only one room. There was no hallway, the stairs lead directly to the door. It must've belonged to a small family. Aside from the table, there is nothing else left besides dust and mold. Mulan takes the time to look through her backpack. She finds some beef jerky and a sleeping bag. Aside from the water container, there wasn't anything else left. Mulan rubs her face and thinks about what she will do for food. She doesn't know if the jerky will last long enough for Aurora to reach her. Mulan's dad has taught her about the types of things to eat, since he worried that one day she would get stranded on the mountain near her home. What he taught doesn't really help much since Mulan doesn't recall finding any animals. If she got desperate she could find some plants to chew on but all she remembers seeing is trees. Tree bark won't help much. Mulan hopes that her tactics aren't viewed as cowardly to her sponsors and that they'll send food when she needs it.

"Ping!" Mulan hears some one shout. She goes to the opening in the floor and sees Ruby snooping around.

"I'm not here to hurt you! Alexandrite ditched me! I want to team up. I know you're around here. I've been following you." She shouts. She stops looking around and yells, "If I wanted to kill you, I would've done it when you were drinking from the stream." She holds up her bow. "I have arrows, you know."

Mulan does need allies and with Aurora being who knows where, Mulan could really use any help Ruby could offer. So, she takes down the table and helps Ruby get in.

"Nice place." Ruby says after inspecting the cobwebs. She places her arrows down and sits. "It's going to be dark soon but I doubt anyone will want to do anything now. It's best to just get some sleep and think up of a plan tomorrow."

They set themselves up to rest and it is dark out. It is nearly pitch black and Mulan couldn't see a thing outside her viewing hole. Mulan lies down in her sleeping bag and Ruby asks, "So how many did you hear today?"

She's referring to the cannons that sound to signify the death of a tribute. Mulan heard many during the initial chaos of the games and a few more when she was walking. The noise causes Mulan's stomach to turn because she doesn't know if they're marking Aurora's death. She is ashamed that she couldn't find Aurora and fulfill her duty but what could she do? She would've died and then definitely be no use. If Aurora is dead now, does that mean Philip is at home cursing her out?

"I counted ten." She continues. "I didn't see your partner, though. So she could still be alright." Mulan's silence seems to be doing the conversing for her.

Finally, Mulan does say something, "Too bad the roof is in good condition. If there was a hole someone we could've find out."

At the end of each day, the faces of the fallen tributes are projected on to the sky and the anthem of the Capitol plays. When the music finishes Mulan says, "I saw the boy from District 12 die."

"You're welcome." Ruby replies, "I knew you could use that sword. I also got the girl from 10. I saw both tributes from 5 fall and the girl from 11."

When the morning comes, Ruby is gone. Mulan becomes confused and wonders if she had made the whole thing up to keep her sane but Ruby comes back with a handful of dead rabbits. Ruby tells her how it was better that they saved the beef jerky and bread she got at the cornucopia. Mulan eats some of Ruby's fruit for breakfast as Ruby cooks the rabbits down stairs. A cannon fires. They decide that their place was the best for a home base so they agree to go around in a circle thirty feet away from the house to search for anyone near by. After they search their half of the circle they would return for lunch.

Ruby believes that this is the best tragedy until there are fewer tributes. Then they would leave and hunt down the rest. Mulan, of course, keeps it to herself her plan of finding Aurora. She figures that Ruby knows how important Aurora is to Mulan and if she found her would bring her back to the house. They rest for a few hours before scanning the perimeter again. Mulan thinks that the game makers had made the arena too big and that's why things were going so slow.

When Mulan comes back, Ruby is no where to be found. She guesses that Ruby decided to take her time, since she got back so quickly the first round. Mulan waits for almost half an hour when she hears the cannon. She picks up her sword and darts towards Ruby's direction. She doesn't have to run too far to find the body with a knife stuck in its head. Ruby is dead and her killer was Aurora. Aurora looks up solemnly but her expression changes instantly when her eyes lay on Mulan.

Aurora embraces Mulan. "I told you I'd find you. I will always find you."


End file.
